Marsalis covered the entirety of John Coltrane's “The Best of Love” in the studio and stage in the early 2000s, but at his best it becomes deeper in his “attribution.” On the original album, the title track was performed in a short, reflective entanglement, as a solo free duet between Jarrett on the piano and Younger Barrek on the tenor. Marsalis will take time with this piece, stating the theme of the soprano saxophone, leaving space in the rhythm section, leaving space for pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Levis and drummer Justin Faulkner. Once re-entered, Marsalis begins to play gentle, water-based phrases, then steadily crescens to the piercing strength of the final theme statement. This is a performance that celebrates and amplifies the gloomy beauty of the source material.
“Windup” represents another pole of “attribution.” It suggests the boogie woogie, a swaying, bent and twisted theme, has been lost, and reminds me of a mood of infectious pleasure. The Marsalis quartet has embraced it as a favorite in recent years, with previous versions appearing on the band's 2019 live album, The Secret ot of the Shadow and the Soul. Like its performance, Faulkner is the driving force behind a new studio take. Here he pushes even harder, complementing the opening piano and bass vamps with busy festive beats marked by snare and cowbell syncopation barrages.
Later on the track, the band borrows the quirks of the original Jarrett arrangement. There, the piano, bass and drums fall off before the saxophone solo, with Garbarek playing an unaccompanied lead-in. Marsalis and Company are using this moment to temporarily head for storm-free jazz. Meanwhile, in “As long as you know you're alive,” they delve into the feel of the original strut backbeat – Steely Dan Cribbsbed for the title track for “Gaucho.”
Marsalis Band's recitation of brighter “Affiliation” songs emphasizes the sense of fun that is inherent in those works, and Lehman and his bandmates alike tease the playfulness of Braxton's harsh compositional style. Most of the selection of “The Music of Anthony Braxton” was recorded at the Bar ETA in Los Angeles in 2023 and released ahead of the 80th Grade Birthday in mid-June.
The direction of “23c,” one of the more impressive works of Braxton's classic “New York, Fall 1974” LP, is outstanding. The original Braxton (flute), trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and bassist Dave Holland tackle one new phrase at each runthrough to match the clever, periodic theme, while drummer Jerome Cooper adds a flutter texture. But here, drummer Damion Reed runs through the refreshing ditches to Lehman, Turner and bassist Matt Brewer, adding subtle shimmies to Braxton's staccato line. The band then loops through the final phrase of the composition to create a sophisticated asymmetrical pattern for the saxophonist to solo. The overall effect is the effect of HIP Contemporary Remix.
